Background:

Our Power Up Physical Activity Programme was set up in the West Midlands nearly ten years ago to help schools measure activity levels in school and provide opportunities for children to take ownership of their own health and fitness. With an increasing lack of physical activity among some children and the increasing rise of childhood obesity, Power Up is aimed at monitoring and tracking each individual child’s improvements in physical activity whilst informing schools and enabling intervention to take place to support targeted groups.

For context, the latest obesity figures for England taken from the National Child Measurement Programme identify the following:

> The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) found that 9.6% of reception age children in England (ages 4-5) were obese in 2023/24, with a further 12.4% overweight. These proportions were higher among year 6 children (age 10-11), with 22.1% being obese and 13.8% overweight.

> Overall, 26.8% of children aged 2 to 15 were overweight or obese in 2022/23.

Source: NHS Digital, National Child Measurement Programme, 2022/23; NHS Digital, Health Survey for England 2022

So what is ‘Power Up?’

Power Up is a fully inclusive programme that combines physical activity and technology to measure and improve children’s physical literacy and activity levels throughout the course of the academic year.

With simple and effective resources, there is support for every child to achieve their personal best scores. The programme can be delivered in person by our specialist Activity Professionals, or schools can licence our reporting software with active sessions delivered by teachers. Simply, there are two elements to Power Up, the practical session and software element providing data and reports.

Case Study Rationale:

For this case study we have focussed on one of our partner schools, in which we have been with since 2021, Woodthorpe Junior and Infant School. They are a one-form entry school based in Kings Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands and we are able to evidence the benefit of the programme and also share the 3 year sustainable model the school have chosen to take ownership of the programme themselves without our intervention.

We have been delivering our Power Up programme since the academic year 2021/2022. During this time the school has shown great progress and a willingness to succeed and perform well. Below you will find some of the relevant data outlining the schools overall percentage improvement to evidence this.

Woodthorpe Junior and Infant School Data 2022-2025:

From the results above you can see that the school has made progress each year after implementing the Power Up programme, especially last year with a massive whole school improvement of over 30% which was able to be evidenced to Governors and provide tangible evidence to report on their sport premium spend.

A sustainable model for the school:

Power Up has a three-year sustainable plan which Woodthorpe have now completed:

Year 1: Delivery of Power Up by Premier Education Staff.

Year 2: CPD Model, combined delivery of Premier Education staff and class teachers.

Year 3: Software license only, full delivery and ownership for the school.

Costs have decreased each year with the school now only committing to £1000 to utilise Power Up across all year groups (Rec – Year 6) and conducting 4 assessments per year.

All of the above models provide great evidence of impact utilising the SSP funding whilst upskilling school staff with the delivery of Power Up, meaning in year 3 the school maintains their impact levels on the children, whilst still able to evidence data, all for a fraction of the costs.

What Woodthorpe Junior & Infant School have to say:

Katie Lodge, PE Lead at Woodthorpe Junior and Infant School:

1. How do children feel about their Power Up practical sessions?

The children are highly engaged and enthusiastic during their Power-Up sessions. They enjoy the opportunity to challenge themselves and consistently strive for personal bests. It’s rewarding to see their motivation and determination as they take pride in their progress and effort each time.

2. How has Power Up impacted the pupils at your school?

Power-Up has had a positive impact on pupils’ physical ability and overall engagement. Many children have shown improvements in their fitness levels and are more motivated during PE lessons and extra-curricular activities. The inclusive nature of the assessments encourages all pupils to participate and strive to beat their personal scores. Additionally, older pupils supporting younger ones during assessments has strengthened pupil leadership and fostered a sense of responsibility and teamwork across year groups.

3. How effective are the data and reports?

The data and reports generated by Power-Up are highly effective. They allow us to track pupil progress not only across the academic year but also throughout their primary journey, as we’ve used the programme consistently over several years. The system helps us identify our lowest 20% of pupils, enabling us to implement targeted interventions. The data also supports our reporting for the PE and Sport Premium, providing clear evidence of impact and areas for development.

4. Please comment on our 3 year sustainable plan for schools (full delivery – CPD – Software only models)

The 3-year sustainable plan is an effective way to increase staff engagement and ownership. By giving teachers responsibility for their own class data input and assessment, it promotes consistency and accountability across the school. The software-only model is both cost-effective and sustainable—particularly valuable in the context of uncertain future funding—while still delivering a positive impact on pupil outcomes.

5. What is the reason for your school choosing our Power Up Physical Activity Programme?

We chose the Power-Up programme because it provides clear, individualised data and reports for each pupil, allowing both staff and children to track progress over time. It’s easy to implement, offers excellent value for money, and is supported by a responsive and helpful team. The programme empowers pupils to take ownership of their fitness and supports whole-school engagement in physical activity.